The Dutch government has said the new law partially banning face-covers is "religion-neutral." Only about 400 women are estimated to wear full-face veils in the Netherlands.
Image: AP
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The Dutch Senate passed a law on Tuesday banning the wearing of face-covering clothing in schools, public transport, government buildings and hospitals, making the Netherlands the latest European country to impose a so-called "burqa ban."
The law applies to all face coverings, including motor helmets and ski-masks, as well as Islamic garb such as the burqa and niqab. It does not apply to the hijab, or Islamic headscarves that only cover the hair.
The government describes the law as "religion-neutral."
Targeting Muslim women?
The Lower House approved the bill in 2016, after proposals for a general ban on burqas and other face-covering veils failed to muster enough support.
Proponents of the law argue it was necessary for security and to ensure effective communication in public. Critics say the law was designed to specifically target Islamic garb that covers the face.
The Quran calls for women to dress "modestly," though interpretations as to what that means vary. Here is an overview of the most common types of clothing worn by Muslim women.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/B. Roessler
Hijab
Most Islamic scholars agree that the hijab, which covers the head and neck, and comes in any number of shapes and colors, must be worn by Muslim women. American teen Hannah Schraim is seen wearing one here while playing with her brother.
Image: picture-alliance/AP Photo/J. Martin
Chador
The chador, which is usually black, is a body-length outer garmet often worn in Iran and among modern-minded women in the Gulf States, as here in Saudi Arabia. It is not fastened with clasps or buttons and therefore has to be held closed by the wearer.
Image: picture alliance/JOKER/K. Eglau
Niqab
A niqab is a veil and scarf that covers the entire face yet leaves the eyes free. It covers a woman's hair, as it falls to the middle of her back and some are also half-length in the front so as to cover her chest. Here it is being worn by women attending a rally by Salafi radicals in Germany.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/B. Roessler
Abaya
An abaya is a loose-fitting, full-length garment designed to cover the body. It may come in many different styles, as seen here at an Arab fashion show, and is often worn in combination with hijab or niqab.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/A. Haider
Burqa
The burqa is the most extensive of all Muslim garments, covering the entire body from head to toe. It traditionally has a woven mesh area around the eyes, severely restricting the wearer's vision. Here they are seen casting their ballots in Pakistani parliamentary elections.
Image: AP
No veil
Queen Rania of Jordan says that Islam does not coerce women to wear any head coverings and that it is more important to judge a woman by her ethics and values, rather than what she wears. She is seen here meeting refugees in Greece.
Image: Reuters/A. Konstantinidis
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Few women affected
Few women in the Netherlands wear the niqab, which covers the face with a small slit around the eyes, or the full-face burqa. A government advisory body previously estimated the ban would impact at most 400 women.
A full ban on wearing the burqa or niqab has been pushed for nearly a decade by the anti-Islam Party for Freedom, led by Geert Wilders.
Not as extensive
The Dutch law does not go as far as more extensive bans in France, Belgium, Bulgaria, Denmark and Austria.
Several European countries and regions have partial face-covering bans. Germany bans full-face coverings in limited contexts, while the southern state of Bavaria last year moved to ban face veils in many public institutions.
The European Court of Human Rights last year upheld Belgium's full-face veil ban in public.
